Providing hearing health care services by means of a home entertainment device

ABSTRACT

The invention suggests to use a home entertainment system ( 1, 2, 3, 4   a,    4   b ) for providing hearing health care services. The system for providing hearing health care services comprises a home entertainment system comprising at least one processor ( 10 ), wherein said home entertainment system is adapted to let a hearing health care software run on said at least one processor. The method for providing hearing health care services comprises the step of letting a hearing health care software run on a processor ( 10 ) of a home entertainment system ( 1, 2, 3, 4   a,    4   b ). Preferably, said home entertainment system comprises at least one of a set-top box ( 1 ) for digital television; a media center for presentation of digitally stored audio content, video content and/or photo content; a media center for presentation of digitally streaming audio and/or video content; a game console; a television set ( 3 ). Said hearing health care software preferably allows for at least one of hearing testing; training for hearing with a hearing device; simulation of hearing device function as a demonstration of hearing device benefit; adjustment of hearing device parameters according to the preferences of a user of said hearing device; upgrades or modifications to hearing device operating software and/or hearing device operating parameters.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of hearing health care. Moreparticularly, the invention relates to a system and a method forproviding hearing health care services and to a use of a homeentertainment system for providing hearing health care services.

DEFINITIONS

Under hearing health care services, we understand services related tothe diagnosis, therapy or rehabilitation of a hearing impaired person,including the provision of means and methods that reduce the disabilityand handicap caused by the impairment. Examples are hearing tests,hearing training, simulation of hearing aid benefit.

Under a hearing device, a device is understood, which is worn in oradjacent to an individual's ear with the object to improve theindividual's acoustical perception. Such improvement may also be barringacoustic signals from being perceived in the sense of hearing protectionfor the individual. If the hearing device is tailored so as to improvethe perception of a hearing impaired individual towards hearingperception of a “standard” individual, then we speak of a hearing-aiddevice. With respect to the application area, a hearing device may beapplied behind the ear, in the ear, completely in the ear canal or maybe implanted.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Today, most steps in hearing health care, in particular hearing testingand fitting of a hearing device, take place in an audiologist's office.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,322,521 B1a method and a system for on-line hearingexamination and correction is disclosed, wherein the system comprises alocal personal computer comprising a sound card and speakers, whichpersonal computer is connected—via a data network—to a remote hearingassistant server.

In US 2002/0054689 A1, a method and a system for remotely upgrading ahearing aid device is disclosed, wherein a connection via a publicnetwork is used to access a remote hearing aid upgrade server.

In WO 2005/125002 A2, a system and a method for diagnosing hearing lossin an individual is disclosed. The system comprises a CD or videotapecontaining test sounds (tones at different frequencies) and verbalinstructions. Guided by the verbal instructions, the individual selectstracks on the CD/videotape with tones at different frequencies andlistens to these. A personal computer is used as a communication meansfor accessing a Web site for a more thorough hearing test.

In U.S. Pat. No. 6,447,461 B1, a method and system for conducting ahearing test using a computer and headphones is disclosed.

In WO 2005/125278 A2, an at-home hearing aid training system and methodis disclosed, in which a computer is used for running hearing testprograms.

Personal computers are today widely available and used, but the at-homeavailability of personal computers among elderly and less affluentpeople is reduced with respect to that of young and affluent people. Onthe other hand, the elderly make up the major portion of hearing deviceusers.

It is therefore desirable to provide for alternative ways of providinghearing health care services.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the invention is to create alternative ways of providinghearing health care services. A system for providing hearing health careservices and a method for providing hearing health care services shallbe created, which do not have the disadvantages mentioned above. Inaddition, a use of a home entertainment system for providing hearinghealth care services shall be provided.

Another object of the invention is to provide for an increasedconvenience for a person to whom hearing health care services areprovided, in particular if the person provides itself with the hearinghealth care services.

The system for providing hearing health care services comprises

-   -   a home entertainment system comprising at least one processor,        wherein said home entertainment system is adapted to let a        hearing health care software run on said at least one processor.

The method for providing hearing health care services comprises the stepof letting a hearing health care software run on a processor of a homeentertainment system.

The invention furthermore comprises the use of a home entertainmentsystem for providing hearing health care services.

This allows to provide a wide range of hearing device users with hearinghealth care services, in particular users, which do not have a personalcomputer at home or which have a personal computer only in an office,but prefer to receive hearing health care services in their living room,in which they have a home entertainment system.

Today, home entertainment systems are widely used in private households,and their processing capability is rather large. This processing powercan—according to the invention—be used for running hearing health caresoftware.

Home entertainment systems are usually specialized in performing onlyone or only a very limited number of specific tasks. Their userinterface is usually adapted to this limited number of tasks andtypically comprises—for receiving input from a user—only up to 5 or upto 10 buttons or knobs. In most home entertainment systems, there is nopossibility provided for a user to install additional software. In somehome entertainment systems, it may be possible to update the homeentertainment system's firmware, but this is not an installation ofadditional software, since an old version of the firmware is replaced bya new version of the firmware. The user interface of most homeentertainment systems is easy to handle, and a user of the homeentertainment system knows this user interface well and is familiar tousing it, which eases—for said user—the use of the home entertainmentsystem as a hearing health care services providing system.

In one embodiment, said home entertainment system comprises a storageunit in which data defining said hearing health care software arestored.

In one embodiment, said hearing health care software is running on saidprocessor.

In one embodiment, said hearing health care software, when running onsaid processor, allows for at least one of the group comprising

-   -   hearing testing;    -   training for hearing with a hearing device;    -   training for hearing without a hearing device;    -   simulation of hearing device function as a demonstration of        hearing device benefit;    -   adjustment of hearing device parameters according to the        preferences of a user of said hearing device;    -   electronic payment for services associated with hearing health        care;    -   electronic payment for services associated with the use of a        hearing device;    -   upgrades or modifications to hearing device operating software        and/or hearing device operating parameters;    -   exchange of hearing device operating parameters between a        hearing device and a central database;    -   exchange of hearing device operating parameters between hearing        devices of different hearing device users.

In case of said exchange of hearing device operating parameters betweena hearing device and a central database, said hearing device operatingparameters comprise data logging data. Data logging data are describedin detail in EP 1 414 271 A2.

In one embodiment, said home entertainment system comprises at least oneof the group comprising

-   -   a set-top box for digital television;    -   a media center for presentation of digitally stored audio        content, video content and/or photo content;    -   a media center for presentation of digitally streaming audio        and/or video content;    -   a game console;    -   a television set.

In particular: In one embodiment, said home entertainment systemcomprises a set-top box for digital television. In one embodiment, saidhome entertainment system comprises a media center for presentation ofdigitally stored audio content, video content and/or photo content. Inone embodiment, said home entertainment system comprises a media centerfor presentation of digitally streaming audio and/or video content. Inone embodiment, said home entertainment system comprises a televisionset. In one embodiment, said home entertainment system comprises a gameconsole.

These are examples for home entertainment systems. In particular, saidhome entertainment system is exactly one of the group described above.

In one embodiment, said home entertainment system comprises a soundunit, which comprises at least one of

-   -   a sound-generation unit;    -   a sound-data storage unit;    -   a sound reproduction unit.

Preferably, it comprises all three.

In one embodiment, said home entertainment system comprises a connectingunit for establishing a connection to the internet.

In one embodiment, said system is free from interfaces for operationallyconnecting a full keyboard to the system. A “full keyboard” refers tothose input units, which are commonly used for personal computers. Suchfull keyboards usually comprise at least 30, rather more than 50 andeven more than 60 keys (buttons), mainly for entering alphanumericinformation. In this embodiment, the system according to the inventionhas no provision for operationally connecting to such a full keyboard.

In one embodiment, the system is free from interfaces which would allowa user of the system to install additional software in the system.Personal computers are designed such that a user of the personalcomputer can install additional software in the personal computer,whereas such a feature is typically not foreseen in home entertainmentsystems. The above-mentioned hearing health care software will usuallynot be installed by a user of the home entertainment system, but, e.g.,by the manufacturer of the home entertainment system.

Further embodiments of methods according to the invention and of usesaccording to the invention can be derived from corresponding systemsaccording to the invention.

Further objects emerge from the description and embodiments below.

At least one of these objects is at least partially achieved by systemsand methods according to the patent claims.

The advantages of the methods and uses correspond to the advantages ofcorresponding systems.

Further preferred embodiments and advantages emerge from the dependentclaims and the FIGURES.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Below, the invention is described in more detail by means of examplesand the included drawing. The FIGURE shows schematically:

FIG. 1 an illustration of a system according to the invention.

The reference symbols used in the FIGURES and their meaning aresummarized in the list of reference symbols. The described embodimentsare meant as examples and shall not confine the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an illustration of a system according to the invention. Thesystem comprises a home entertainment system comprising a set-top box 1,a storage unit 2, a television set 3 and loudspeakers 4 a,4 b.

The set-top box 1 is operationally connected to at least one of thegroup comprising a digital TV cable 11, a satellite TV receiver 12, adigital TV antenna 13 and the internet 14 (WWW). The set-top box 1receives digital TV signals from at least one of the digital TV sources11,12,13,14, processes the digital TV signals and feeds the televisionset 3 and the loudspeakers 4 a,4 b with processed signals. In theconventional mode of operation, the home entertainment system is used bya user 5 for watching TV. A processor 10 of set-top box 1 is employedfor said processing.

Said storage unit 2, e.g., a hard disk (preferably integrated in theset-top box 1) or a ROM or a flash memory device, comprises datadefining a hearing health care software, which can be used, e.g., forhearing testing. In a mode of operation according to the invention, onsaid processor 10 of set-top box 1, said hearing health care software isrun. The loudspeakers 4 a,4 b are used for generating test sounds(typically on the basis of electrical signals obtained from processor10), and user 5, wearing hearing devices 6 a,6 b, can test his hearingby means of said hearing health care software. User controls such asknobs or buttons of the set-top box 1 or of a remote control of theset-top box (not shown) can be used for receiving input from the user,e.g., for indicating when a test sound is perceived, and on thetelevision set 3, commands and results for user 5 can be displayed.

As becomes clear from the above, the invention suggests to use a homeentertainment system for providing hearing health care services. User 5might prefer using his home entertainment system for receiving hearinghealth care services over using a personal computer for this purpose,because he feels more comfortable handling his home entertainment systemthan handling a personal computer, and because his home entertainmentsystem is installed in his living room, where he feels more comfortablethan in an office, in which a personal computer might be installed.

List of Reference Symbols  1 set-top box  2 storage unit  3 televisionset  4a, 4b loudspeaker  5 user  6a, 6b hearing device 10 processor 11digital TV cable 12 satellite TV receiver 13 digital TV antenna 14internet

1. System for providing hearing health care services, comprising a homeentertainment system (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) comprising at least one processor(10), wherein said home entertainment system (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) is adaptedto let a hearing health care software run on said at least oneprocessor.
 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said homeentertainment system (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) comprises a storage unit (2) inwhich data defining said hearing health care software are stored.
 3. Thesystem according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said hearing health caresoftware is running on said processor (10).
 4. The system according toone of the preceding claims, wherein said hearing health care software,when running on said processor, allows for at least one of the groupcomprising hearing testing; training for hearing with a hearing device(6 a;6 b); training for hearing without a hearing device (6 a;6 b);simulation of hearing device function as a demonstration of hearingdevice benefit; adjustment of hearing device parameters according to thepreferences of a user (5) of said hearing device (6 a;6 b); electronicpayment for services associated with hearing health care; electronicpayment for services associated with the use of a hearing device (6 a;6b); upgrades or modifications to hearing device operating softwareand/or hearing device operating parameters; exchange of hearing deviceoperating parameters between a hearing device (6 a;6 b) and a centraldatabase; exchange of hearing device operating parameters betweenhearing devices of different hearing device users.
 5. The systemaccording to one of the preceding claims, wherein said homeentertainment system (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) comprises at least one of the groupcomprising a set-top box (1) for digital television; a media center forpresentation of digitally stored audio content, video content and/orphoto content; a media center for presentation of digitally streamingaudio and/or video content; a game console; a television set (3).
 6. Thesystem according to one of the preceding claims, wherein said homeentertainment system (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) comprises a sound unit, whichcomprises at least one of a sound-generation unit; a sound-data storageunit; a sound reproduction unit (4).
 7. The system according to one ofthe preceding claims, wherein said home entertainment system (1,2,3,4a,4 b) comprises a connecting unit for establishing a connection to theinternet.
 8. The system according to one of the preceding claims, whichis free from interfaces for operationally connecting a full keyboard tothe system.
 9. The system according to one of the preceding claims,which is free from interfaces which would allow a user of the system toinstall additional software in the system.
 10. Method for providinghearing health care services, comprising the step of letting a hearinghealth care software run on a processor (10) of a home entertainmentsystem (1,2,3,4 a,4 b).
 11. The method according to claim 8, whereinsaid home entertainment system (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) is a home entertainmentsystem (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) as described in one of claims 1 to
 9. 12. Themethod according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein said homeentertainment system (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) comprises at least one of the groupcomprising a set-top box (1) for digital television; a media center forpresentation of digitally stored audio content, video content and/orphoto content; a media center for presentation of digitally streamingaudio and/or video content; a game console; a television set (3). 13.The method according to one of claims 10 to 12, wherein said homeentertainment system (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) is free from interfaces which wouldallow a user of the system to install additional software in said homeentertainment system (1,2,3,4 a,4 b).
 14. Use of a home entertainmentsystem (1,2,3,4 a,4 b) for providing hearing health care services. 15.The use according to claim 14, wherein said home entertainment system(1,2,3,4 a,4 b) comprises at least one of the group comprising a set-topbox (1) for digital television; a media center for presentation ofdigitally stored audio content, video content and/or photo content; amedia center for presentation of digitally streaming audio and/or videocontent; a game console; a television set (3).
 16. The use according toclaim 14 or claim 15, wherein said home entertainment system (1,2,3,4a,4 b) is free from interfaces which would allow a user of the system toinstall additional software in said home entertainment system (1,2,3,4a,4 b).